Friday, 6 March 2015

Feel very excited to be a part of this fine flock of 11 West Country Children's illustrators who are coming together for a week long exhibition. Where they will crawl out of their shy shells to show off original artwork, leading workshops, sharing their creative secrets, book signing, reading events and much, much more!

A Scribble of Illustrators,1st - 7th May 2015, 11am-5pm daily

Centrespace Gallery, 6 Leonard Lane, Bristol BS1 1EA

The children’s book illustrator - a species seldom seen out and about during daylight, and almost never in a group of it’s own kind, or ‘scribble’. What could possibly tempt these shy, retiring (some might even say anti-social) creatures to gather in one of Bristol’s finest gallery spaces for a week-long fiesta of original artwork, prints, books for sale and family events?

In an unprecedented display of team-spirit (an ‘agreement’ of illustrators, perhaps? Seems unlikely), eleven of the west-country’s finest children’s authors and illustrators will be sharing this brilliant space to show off their diverse range of techniques and skills, as well as hosting a variety of family events, readings and workshops over the bank holiday weekend.

In addition to exhibiting work from past, present and future publishing triumphs, each of the illustrators will be creating a new artwork for the show, illustrating one of their favourite collective nouns. A tishoo of sneezes? A charm of finches? Who knows, there might even be a beautification of spatulas. Come along in May and find out.

Details of workshops and events to be announced on Facebook page link to be supplied

For further information or more pictures, please contact Joe or Henning on the above email addresses.

Exhibitors include:

Joe Berger

Joe is the author/illustrator of Bridget Fidget, and Bridget Fidget Hold on Tight, published by Puffin, and recently illustrated three new Chitty Chitty Bang Bang books for Pan Macmillan, written by Frank Cottrell Boyce. Joe is currently drawing the Hubble Bubble picture book and young fiction series by Tracey Corderoy, and Superhero Dad by Timothy Knapman, both series published by Nosy Crow. Joe was World Book Day Illustrator 2010, and one of the BookTrust Best New Illustrators in 2011, which is odd because he’s not very new.

Paula Bowles

Paula writes and illustrates children’s books for a number of publishers including Bloomsbury, Random House and Templar. Her books include Little Lou and the Wolly Mammoth, Scary Mary, What Goes Up, and Messy Jesse.

Paula illustrated The National Trust Family Organiser 2015, and is currently working on the 2016 edition. In 2013 Paula was an chosen artist to paint Gromit as part of the ‘Gromit Unleashed’ trail.

Jo Empson

Jo Empson graduated from Cambridge School of Art with an MA in Children’s Book Illustration. During the course she created her first picture book Rabbityness which was published the following year in 2012 by Child’s play International, and has been nominated for 8 awards, including Kate Greenaway Medal and shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and UKLA award.

Her second picture book published by Child’s Play, Never Ever, was awarded a Kirkus Star, won Moonbeam US Children’s Book Award - Gold for Preschool Picture Books and also nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal.

Yasmin Ismael

Yasmin recently moved to Bristol; she is writing her fourth book for Bloomsbury, her first for Walker Books, and is also working on picture books for Nosy Crow and Pan Macmillan. She has just completed two books for publishers in the US and has more exciting projects lined up for 2015.

Her book Time for Bed was selected by the New York Times for the Best Illustrated Books list 2014. She has a love of watercolours, inks and paints and her illustrations are bright, fluid and full of energy and movement.

Sean Julian

Sean was born in Derbyshire and studied at the Mansfield College of Art before moving to Bristol to study Illustration. Sean being himself big and hairy has always been happiest drawing Bears, Gorillas and other big hairy creatures. Since 2001 he has been illustrating children’s books for an array of publishers and book packagers. Recent books include: My Dad written by Steve Smallman and published by the Little Tiger Press, and Brave little Owl written by Penny Little, published by Random House. The latter was recently read out by Maggie Aderin-Pocock on the Cbeebies programme ‘Storytime’.

Steve Lenton

Steven is the illustrator of the best selling Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam which was both Waterstones picture book of the month and The Times children's book of the week. Since this successful debut Steven has written his first picture book Princess Daisy and the Dragon and the Nincompoop Knights with publisher Nosy Crow and is also illustrating the latest fiction title by Frank Cottrell Boyce The Astounding Broccoli Boy.

Henning Lohlein

Originally from Germany, Henning has lived in Bristol for 25 years, during which he has illustrated over 30 children's books, published in more than 15 languages. His latest pop-up book Fish Food, published by Templar, won the Sheffield Children's Book Prize 2014 in the baby book category. He was selected as one of the artists to paint Shaun the sheep for Bristol’s "Shaun in the City" trail this year.

Gwen Millward

Gwen is particularly fond of drawing bugs. Her books for children are full of them; most famously 'The Bog Baby' written by Jeanne Willis which won the Book Trust Early Years Award. She has illustrated for Puffin, Simon and Schuster, Andersen Press, Egmont, Candlewick, Random House and is currently working with Bloomsbury. All of these books contain Bugs.

Donough O’Malley

Donough is an Illustrator and author from Monaghan in Ireland. Since completion of his degree in illustration at UWE and an MA in Brighton, his first picture book Monkey See Monkey Do (Frances Lincoln UK) was shortlisted for the Cambridge picture book award in 2007. Recent picture books for Irish publishers Futa Fata have been selected for the White Ravens catalogue and inclusion to the permanent collection of the International Youth Library in Munich. Donough is also the illustrator of the successful book series, The World of Norm, which won the Scottish Book Trust Award 2013 and has been printed in over 14 countries.

Lauren Tobia

Lauren has illustrated Anna Hibiscus and Song and Splash, Anna Hibiscus!, both written by Atinuke (Walker Books). Anna Hibiscus was included in Time Out New York's Top 50 Best Books for Kids; "a book that deserves to become a classic". It was also a 2011 Boston Globe Honour Book for Excellence in Children's Literature.

Lauren is a founder member of the Bristol based illustration group Brillustration, taking part in collaborative drawings in galleries to bookshop windows.

Sarah Warburton

Sarah Warburton hails from North Wales but has lived and worked in Bristol as an illustrator for 20 years. She uses a combination of pencil sketches, digital colour and collage. Sarah has produced a bestselling trio of Princess books with a difference with Caryl Hart and Nosy Crow - winning the Oldham Brilliant Book award in 2013. Dinosaurs in the Supermarket, with Timothy Knapman, was shortlisted for The Coventry Book Award 2013 and Oscars First Book Prize in 2014. Sarah’s first book with author Mark Sperring Mable and Me - Best of Friends was longlisted for a UKLA book prize in 2014.